Hoist-contbol unit



Jan. 26 1926.

H. H. LOGAN aorsr CONTROL UNIT Filed Feb. 9

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FITTORN E Y5 H. H. LOGAN noxs'r common unn' Filad Feb; 9'. 1924 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

, v 1,570,753 UNITE D sinires PATENT OFFICE;

HENRY H. Leann, OF CHICAGO, IL'I iIivoIsi I-IOIST-CONTROL. UNIT.

Application filed Februar 9, 1924, serial No. 691,756.

' T 0 (M whom, it may concern: I v

Be it known that I, HENRY H. LOGAN, a

subject of the King of Englanchand a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hoist-Control Units, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in hoist control units, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein descr1bed and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a:

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is automatic in operation, thereby assuring its faithful operation, should the engineer for et to actuate the brake mechanism when a: the skip or cage has reached the'hmit of travel orthrou h an disabiht WlllCll y I i would render the. engineer powerless to act. A further ob ect of my invention 1s to provide a holst control unlt of the type described in which a part thereofcomprises a controller of the type set forth in the prior patent to l Villiam J. Lilly, No. 1,239,409.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of thetype described'which is compact in form, durable, dependable in operation, and thoroughly practical commercially.

Other object sand advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention "willbe particularly pointed out in the appended claims,

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of anenibodiment of my invention, v v

Figure 2 1s a rear elevation'of the mechanism illustrated in" Figure 1,a1id

Figure3 a diagramniatic view of the hydraulic system in connection with Which my improved hoist control unit employed. In carrying out my nvention'l make use of a pedestal 1 and a hoist controller 2 which is connected by a ehainor other suitable drive to the hoist drum of amine hoist engine. This chain or other suitable drive is connected with the shaft 2 of the controller 2.

Thecontro-lle r'2 is more fully" set forth in i the prior patent of William J Lilly, No. 1,239,409. v

A dial 2 forms a partiof'the controller 2 and has thereuponv cams 2, 2, 2, and 2 These cams aregadjustably disposed upon the'dial 2- soithat .theymay be moved along switch disposed Within the housing 2 carried by the control 2 when the skip or cage operated by the hoist has moved beyond thesafe limit oftravel at the upper'or lower-end of the shaft. The function of the switch within the casing 2 shall hereinafter be 'described. The purpose of'the cams 2 and 2 is to engage with a roller 2fcarried'iby one end of the pivotally mounted rocker arm 10 which is connected byflmeans of a cone necting rod 11 to agraduated stop mechanism 5 carriedbythe pedestall. These particular cams 2 and 2 are known as retardation cams and their exact operation will, be more fully described in other parts of this specification; g

A solenoid 3 is. mounted upon the pedestal l by means of bolts 1 and forms a part of a circuit in which the switch within the easing 2 and operatedby the cams 2 and 2 are a part.

lowermost end 3'? with the intermediate portion of a lever 7 The lever is pivotallyj supported .at 7 to the pedestal 1 and has a weight 8 on'the outermost end thereof.

When the solenoid 3 is deenergized,.the weight 8 and the weightof the plunger 3? will cause the lever 7 to move downwardly- A control valve l, (seeFigure 3), forminga movement downwardly of the lever 7 by virtue of the weight 8 and the weight of the plunger 3 will actuate the valve 4.

lVith reference to Figure 3, it will be no ted that the valve 4 is provided with four ports, an inlet port 4, a drain port 4 a return port 4, and a delivery port 4 The inlet port 4 is connected by means of a pipe 12 to a pressure accumulator 13. The delivery port 4 is connected by means of a pipe 14 to a gravity brake cylinder 15. A plunger or piston 16 is provided for the cylinder 15 which when elevated as by the presence of a liquid within the cylinder 15, serves to support and maintain in an elevated position the gravity operated part of the ordinary type of gravity brake mechanism employed for actuating the brake shoes of a hoist drum. The return port 4" is connected by means of a pipe 17 to the cylinder 15 at a point opposed to the connection of the cylinder 15 with the pipe 14.

An engineers valve 18 is disposed in the pipe line 14 between the delivery port 4 and the cylinder 15, and a rod 19 for actuating the valve 18, is provided, which is connected at its uppermost end to a floating mechanism operated from the engineers platform. The valve 18 is for manual operation of the brake system.

The drain port 4 of the valve 4 is connected to a drain pipe 20 which empties into a sump tank 21. The drain pipe 20 is also connected with a drain port 22 of the engineers valve 18.

The level of the liquid in the sump tank 21 is indicated in dotted lines at 221. A pump 23 is disposed above the tank 21 and has its outlet port connected by means of a pipe 24 with the pipe 12. The inlet of the pump 23 communicates with the interior of the sump tank 21 below the level of the liquid 22 by the provision of a pipe 25.

Means for retarding and limiting the movement of the gravity actuated lever 7 when the skip or cage in the shaft operated by the hoist drum is away from the upper or lower limits of travel, and consequently with the retardation cams 2 or 2 out of engagement with the roller 2 of the arm 10, is provided in a plurality of steps S provided on a portion of the graduated stop member 5. It will be noted that when the graduated stop member 5 moves upon its pivotal support 26, that the steps S move through an arcuate path toward or away from the axis of the pivotal support 7 of the lever 7. An extension 27 of the lever 7 is arranged to rest upon the stepped portion S of the graduated stop member 5 and that portion of the graduated stop member 5 contacted with by the extension 27 will depend entirely upon the position of the member 5 upon its pivotal support 26 which in turn is dian'ietrically regulated by movement of the arm 10, and its associate connecting rod 11.

It is well to note at this time that the cams 2 and 2 are so disposed upon the dial 2 that they will contact with the roller 2" at the proper time and just prior to the arrival of the skip or cage operated by the hoist to its upper or lower limit of travel.

.It should also be noted that the cams 2 and 2 upon the dial 2 are so disposed as to operate, i. e., open the switch disposed within the casing 2 when the skip or cage has reached its upper or lower limit of travel. It has been explained that the switch within the casing 2 forms a part of the closed circuit of which the solenoid 3 is a part and therefore operation of this switch must cause the deenergization of the solenoid, thereby permitting the arm 7 by virtue of the weight 8 to fall and operate the valve 4.

l/Vhen the valve 4 is in the position shown in Figure 1, i. e., when the solenoid 3 is energized (its normal condition), liquid in the hydraulic system of which the cylinder 5 is a part is free to pass from the accumulator 13 through the pipe 12, through the valve 4, and out of the delivery port 4 where it is stopped at the engineers valve 18, which is normally set so that the drain port 22 is closed. The return port 4 is closed, and therefore liquid may not move in the pipe 17.

The drain port 4 of the valve 4 is shut off from communication with all other ports of the valve 4.

When the stem 4 of the valve 4 is allowed to fall, however, as by opening of the switch within the'casing 2 and the consequent deenergizing of the solenoid 3, then the accumulator 13 is shut off from the delivery port 4 and the liquid is permitted to drain through the pipe 17 from the cylinder 15 through the valve 4 and out of the drain port 4, where the liquid is emptied into the sump tank 21. In this manner the piston 16 of the cylinder 15 is permitted to lower by virtue of the gravity operated'brake mech anism to which the piston 16 is connected.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Let us assume that my improved hoist control unit, as heretofore described, is properly installed, and that the shaft 2 of the controller 2 is connected with the hoist drum employed for the purpose of raising and lowering a skip or cage in a mine so that rotation of the hoist drum may cause a proportional movement of the dial 2. Let us further assume that the cams 2 and 2 2 and 2 have been properly set to correspond with the depth of the shaft, etc., and that a closed electrical circuit has been properly established, of which the switch within the casing 2 and the solenoid 3 are a part.

It now the skip within the shaft of the mine reaches a point adjacent the upper level of the shaft, and the eigineer does not take note or" the. fact, by means provided for such an event, then the retardation cam 2, (let us assume in the present case that the rotation of the dial 2 is in a clockwise direction when the skip is moving upwardly), will engage with the roller Won the arm 10, thereby causing the elevation of the connecting rod 11, which in turn will draw the graduated stop member 5 upwardly so that the steps S thereof will move through an arcuate path, away from the axis 7 of the lever 7.

It now the skip continues unmolested in its upward'movement, the cam 2* will en gage with a roller 2" forming a part ofthe switch within the casing 2 and the switch will open. 7

Opening of the .switch will instantly cause the deenergizing of the solenoid 3 and the weighted lever will fall, thereby operating the valve l so as to permit the liquid within the cylinder 15 to be drained therefrom.

The liquid will ultimately lind its way into the sump tank 21. I

The are through which the lever will move will be a relatively long arc, since the graduated steps S of the graduated stop member 5 are at this t'me relatively remote from the extension 27 of the lever 7. It is essential that the application of the brakes when the skip is at the upper or lower limit of travel shall be accomplished as quickly as possible without damage to the skip, or hoisting mechanism.

If however, the controller 2 operates to open the circuit of which the switch within the casing 2 and the solenoid are a part, as by the overspeeding of the hoist drum, and consequent expansion of the governor 2 forming a part of the controller, then the graduated stop member 5 will be disposed with its steps S at that point closest to the extension of the lever 7 and the application of the brake mechanism will be relatively slow, since the element of time is not important under these conditions, and safety, particularly where men are carried in the cage or skip, is of utmost importance.

It will be apparent that when the retardation cams 2 and 2 are out of engagement with the roller 2 that the application of the brake mechanism will be slow, since the downward movement of the stem 4 of the valve 4 is but a portion of its possible travel, if some such means as the graduated stop member 5 were not employed to limit the movement.

I claim:

1. A control unit for a hoisting apparatus including a hydraulically operated brake engine comprising a stand, a controller mounted upon said stand, said controller having a member arranged for synchronism with the hoist drum of the hoisting appara tus, and an elect ical switch arranged for said solenoid dependin upon the instrumeutality of said member on said controller, and a-valve having a stem connected with said plunger, said valve being arranged for connection with the hydraulically operated brake engine in such a manner to cause said brake engine to operate when said plunger moves out of said solenoid as when the electrical circuit including said solenoid is broken by said switch.

A control unit for a hoisting apparatus including a hydraulically opera-ted brake engine comprising a stand, a controller mounted upon said stand, said controller having a member arranged for synchronism with the hoist drum of the hoisting apparatus, and an electrical switch arranged for operation by said member when moved, a solenoid coil mounted upon said stand and in the electrical circuit controlled by said switch whereby actuation of said. switch will occasion the actuation of said solenoid, a plunger for said solenoid, and gravity operated means for normally holding said plunger substantially out of said solenoid, said gravity operated means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said stand intermediate the length of said lever and connected with said plunger adjacent to its outer end, the inner end of said lever having a stop engaging portion, a second lever pivotally mounted adjacent to said gravity operated lever, said second named lever having a weight at its outer end, and a stop member having a plurality of steps on the surface thereof associated with said second named lever, and being mounted with the steps in registration with the stop engaging portion of said gravity operated lever, a rod for connecting said second named lever with said controller wherebythe position or" said second named lever on its axis is determined by the instrumentality of said member on said controller, and a valve having a stem connected with said plunger, said valve being arranged for connection with the hydraulically operated brake engine in such a manner as to cause said brake engine to operate when said plunger is out of. said solenoid as when the electric circuit is broken by said switch.

'8. A control unit for a hoisting apparatus including a hydraulically operated brake engine comprising a stand, a controller mounted upon said stand, said controller having a member arranged for synchronism with the hoist drum of the hoisting apparatus, and an electrical switch arranged for operation by said member when moved, a solenoid coil mounted upon said stand and in the electrical circuit controlled by said switch whereby actuation of said switch will occasion the actuation of said solenoid, a plunger for said solenoid, and gravity operated means for normally holding said plunger substantially out of said solenoid, said gravity actuated means comprising a weighted lever pivotally mounted on said stand and connected with said plunger, said lever having a stop engaging portion, and a stop member having a plurality of steps on the surface thereof movably supported upon said stand with the steps thereof in registration with the stop engaging portion of said weighted lever, a rod for connecting said movable stop member with said i'neinber of said controller whereby the position of said movable stop member relative to said weighted lever is determined by the instrumentality of said member, and avalve having a stem connected with said plunger, said valve being arranged for connection with the hydraulically operated brake engine in such a manner as to cause said brake ento operate when said plunger is out of said solenoid as when the electric circuit is broken by said s vitch.

l. In a control unit for a hoisting apparatus including a hydraulically operated brake engine, a stand, a weighted lever mounted on said stand and arranged for connection with the control valve of the hydraulically operated brake engine, a solenoid and phm assoc with said weighted lever for eltvatin ued lever when said solenoid energized, said weighted lever having a Stop engaging portion and a graduated stop member for selectively limiting the downward movement of said weighted lever when said solenoid is deenergized, said graduated stop member comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said stand and having a portion provided with a plurality of steps in registration with the stop engaging portion of said weighted lever with which the stop engaging portion of said weighted lever engages selectively when said weighted lever falls dependent upon the position of said stop member.

ENRY H. LOGAN. 

